You Can't Outfox The Fox
by I Am The Twisted Girl
Summary: The only reason Foxface was killed was because of Peetas sheer stupidity. So what if Katniss had deliberately set the berrys as a trap for Foxface? Would she have sensed it, and avoided the berrys? Would Peetas cannon have sounded instead of hers?
1. Prelude

**I had no idea what district 5 did so just gave them graphite mining.**

PRELUDE

As an only child, orphaned when I was four, life in District 5 has been hard. I have lived in the Home for the past nine years of my life. I have always taken things; it is second nature to me. I have never been caught, but I have seen the consequences for those who are. At the Home they beat the children over a stale bread crust, or lock them in the cellar over an extra spoonful of stew. Outside, the penalty for stealing is death.

I am sitting in the cellar of the Home, starting on the first of the three rolls I managed to steal from the evening meal. The cellar is the only place i can go to get away from the rest of the kids at the Home. We are allowed one roll and a small serving of stew at each meal, but I have always had more, taken it. Even tonight my spoils are rather small, usually I manage to take more.

I hear footsteps, the sound of the cellar door opening. I sink deeper into my dark corner. The door shuts and I hear the lock click.

"Well, now look what you've done," I say irritably, "You've gotten me stuck down here."

The kid jumps at the sound of my voice. He is a boy I've never seen before, only a year or two older than I am, maybe fifteen.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he says, rather nervously.

"Its fine," I say, "nothing that hasn't happened before. I'm Brenna."

"James." He holds out his hand and I shake it.

"So, why'd they throw you down here?" I ask him.

"Asked if I could have a bit to eat."

"Oh," I say. I can see his ribs through his thin t-shirt. "How long has it been since you've eaten?"

"Couple of days."

"Here," I offer him my remaining two rolls. "This is all I have right now."

"Thanks. So why did they throw you down here?" He asks, taking a bite of the roll.

"Oh, they didn't throw me down here. I doubt they could catch me if they wanted to. I just come down here to think some times. It's too hard up there with all of the little kids." I gesture to the ceiling.

"How'd you get the bread?"

"Promise not to tell?"

He nods.

"I took it." I surprise myself when I actually tell him. I've never told anyone my secret before, and now I just go blurting it out to some guy I don't know in the cellar of the Home?

"You didn't. If they caught you-" He starts, but I interrupt him.

"Well they didn't catch me, did they? So no harm done, right?" He's just so easy to talk to.

"Could you teach me?" He asks.

"Teach you what?"

"How not to get caught." He says. The look in his eyes is determined. Perhaps that is what makes me say yes. Perhaps not. But in any case, against my better judgment, I agree.

**Review, tell me what you think, even if it is just a "Hey, I read you story, love it." Or "Hey, I read your story, it sucks an you should give up right now." Be honest, I love advice too, so if you have any, I appreciate it.**


	2. Chapter 1 Let The Games Begin

**This takes place about 2 years after the prelude. I'm going to try to make the details of the story as accurate as I can, but if I make any mistakes, feel free to tell me and I'll try to change it. Also, thank you to emilyroorose for being the first person to review my story. I realized that District 5s industry is power after I started writing this story, so I'm sorry for that error.**

It is the day of the reaping, and the sun is just rising. I slip out of bed, carefully, silently, and open the door to the hall. James is already waiting for me.

"Breakfast time." I whisper with a smile. James smiles back.

We sneak towards the kitchen, the cook will be done cooking by now, so it should be easy enough to grab an early breakfast. I'm fast, so when the cook turns to open the pantry, I dart out and grab two of the rolls off of the counter. As I am running back to where James is hidden, the cook starts to turn. James grabs my arm and pulls me out of the kitchen and down the hall.

Our footsteps are loud, they will surely follow us. I open the door to the cellar and James and I both rush down the stairs. I am out of breath, leaning on James for support. His arms are holding me tight to his chest, and I can hear his heart, beating fast.

"Close one, Fox Girl." Usually I get pissed when people comment on my slightly fox-like appearance, but I like the way he says it. I smile up at him.

"Breakfast?" I ask, handing him one of the rolls I managed to snatch.

"Thanks."

I go back up to my small bare room to change into my reaping clothes. My dress is a sparkling gold number, strapless. It flares slightly at the waist and the hem rustles around my knees. It is my mother's old reaping dress.

James is again waiting for me, and when I step out of my room he whistles. I shove him into the wall.

"Hey! What was that for?" He asks indignantly. I laugh.

He picks me up and carries me towards the door in his strong arms.

"Put me down!" I laugh. I kick him, but not hard. He sets me back on my feet outside, and puts his arm around me as we walk towards the square. When we arrive and have to go to our separate places, he hugs me tight.

"Luck," he whispers in my ear.

"Luck."

While the mayor is giving his mandatory speech, my thoughts wander to James. He is my best friend, but does he want to be more than friends? Do I?

I am pulled away from my thoughts by the high-pitched, capital affected voice of our districts escort Camelia.

"Ladies first!" She trills excitedly. I watch as she slowly reaches into the glass ball, filled with the names of every girl aged twelve through eighteen in district 5, deciding the fate of one girl to go to the games. Her claw-like, blue nailed fingers close around a single piece of paper, and she reads aloud-

"Brenna Trell!" I hate the look on James's face as I make my way to the make-shift stage. The pain and fear in his eyes as they meet mine. The tears running down to his chin. I myself am too numb to show emotion of any kind, which is probably for the best.

At least now it can't get any worse, I think as Camelia reaches into the boys reaping ball. Unless- no, I won't allow myself to finish the thought. My eyes dart to James. They won't- they _can't-_

"Seth Skye!" Camelia sing-songs. I breathe a sigh of relief as I shake Seth's hand. James is safe, his time for reapings up.

I stop thinking and give into the numbness as the peace keepers lead me to the justice building to wait. I have an hour, one single hour, to say goodbye to James, no doubt he will be the only one who visits me, before I leave for the Capitol. And I may not come back alive.

The next thing I know, James is holding me while I sob. He is crying too, silent tears running down his cheeks. When we both manage to calm down I dry my eyes on his sleeve.

"Brenna." He says, "Brenna, listen to me. You can win this. You may not be stronger than the rest of the tributes, but you are probably faster, and you are definitely smarter. You just have to play it right, get yourself some sponsors, and you at least have a fighting chance."

And to my surprise, I realize that he is right.

I step up on tiptoe and kiss his soft lips, figuring, what have I got to lose? He pulls back, away from me.

"I'm sorry." I say, "I've been waiting two years to do that, and I might not get another chance."

"Brenna, don't talk like that. You have to come home."

And he kisses me again, long and deep, my fingers braided in his hair, his hands on my back.

Before the peace keepers take him away, he whispers quietly, "I love you, you have to stay strong, and you have to come home. I'll be here, waiting."

And when he leaves, thats when it finally hits me.

Let the Games begin.

**Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have any advice for the author? Review! You know you want to. Click the button. Do it. Now. Also, any of you who think you will be following this story to the end; do you want a happy ending or a sad one? Also, I'll gladly take any ideas for Brenna and Seths Opening Ceremony and/or interview out fits.**


	3. Chapter 2 Into The Capitol

**I was only posting so often because I had already written the first few chapters, so it will be longer between posts now. I also forgot this in the last couple chapters so here it is: As much as I would like to think I own the Hunger Games, that honor belongs to the amazing Suzanne Collins.**

I have never been on a train before. I don't like it much, the ground always moving under my feet. It is unsettling.

We are forced to watch the reapings in the other districts in a dark, smallish room off of the main corridor on the train. I make note of the tributes that look like they will cause the most trouble. The tributes from 1, both volunteers. The Murderous-looking boy from 2, and his stony-eyed counterpart. 3s and 4s are average. Then I see myself walk to the stage. My face is expressionless, except for the brief flash of relief when Seth is called. 6, 7, 8, 9. They all go by in a blur. The boy from 10 has a crippled leg. I feel a twinge of pity; he doesn't stand a chance in the arena. But that's one step closer to home then, isn't it? One step closer to James. 11, a huge boy who looks like he could be a career, and a tiny twelve year old girl. In 12, a twelve year old girl is called, but quickly replaced by an older girl, about my age. A volunteer from 12? No, none of them are friends. Not even allies.

The food tonight is delicious and rich. I have never had this much to eat, even when James and I get a good haul. Even at the feasts and parties after the reaping. Never.

Later I am shown to my room by Tilla, who will be my mentor during the games. She won six years ago by sheer wit. She was weak. She was slow. The odds were most definitely not in her favor. But she was smarter than the other tributes, setting traps, and killing the ensnared tributes with the single knife that she managed to snatch from the cornucopia. If I'm going to win these games, I honestly could not have a better mentor.

"Get a good nights sleep," she says before she leaves me to rest. "We will reach the Capitol tomorrow and the Opening Ceremonies are surprisingly tiring."

I drift off to sleep, my thoughts dwelling on the games ahead of me. I have a single week to train. One week before I am thrown into an arena full of people who have trained for this all their lives, who will have no trouble killing. Who would kill me in an instant.

"Brenna? Brenna! Wake up, it's time to eat." I hear a boy's voice.

"James?" I say, still in my haze of sleep. No, the voice is wrong, James's voice is softer. I open my eyes to see Seth standing over me. I let out a small cry of surprise and pull the covers up to my chin, realizing that I am only wearing my underclothes.

He looks slightly embarrassed, but tries to cover it up by asking "Who's James?"

"He's my boyfriend." I say. Slight exaggeration, but I figure no one will ever know, because the likelihood of either Seth or I making it home is extremely small.

"Er, maybe you should get dressed. For breakfast." He says awkwardly.

"Yeah."

"Well, wasn't that awkward." I mutter to myself after he leaves. I dress in tight black pants and a blue tank top. I am supposed to head straight to the dining car, but I stay in my room for a while longer, thinking, again, of James.

When I finally decide to get up and go to breakfast we have reached the Capitol. Seth is standing by the window waving. He turns and looks at me.

"Maybe some of them will sponsor us." He says.

"And the rest of them want to watch us die."

**I have a couple ideas for her dress for the opening ceremony, but none of them are very good. Any ideas? Review. Happy ending or a sad one? I may just go with sad; I have a really good twist. I'm pretty sure she's going to win though.**


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